After 13 years and one serious knee injury, former Saginaw Arthur Hill and Michigan State star Jason Richardson announced his retirement Wednesday night. I’m officially announcing my retirement from pro basketball.
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Golden State traded Richardson to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2007-08 season, but the Hornets traded him to Phoenix midway through the 2008-09 season.
“I’d like to thank the organizations and fans in Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando, Philly and especially The Bay Area for their loyal support the past 14 years”.
Spears of Yahoo Sports reported Richardson had knee pain several days ago, and an MRI revealed bone spurs, which prompted his retirement.
While he performed well enough in his inaugural NBA campaign to earn a spot on the NBA All-Rookie 1st Team (alongside the likes of Tony Parker and Pau Gasol), Richardson made a name for himself as an aerial artist, first hitting the big stage at the 2002 NBA All-Star Weekend, where he won the first of back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk Championships.
Richardson, 34, last played for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014-15.
The 34-year-old shooting guard/small forward signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Atlanta Hawks last month and was expected to attend training camp next week.
He has been hampered in recent years by knee injuries.
In his brief time with the Bobcats, Richardson averaged 21.4 points per game, his best production at any of his stops. He “still has his whole life in front of [him]” and wants “to be able to play with [his] kids”. He then left school after his sophomore season and was the fifth overall pick by the Warriors.
While Richardson scored 14,644 points during his National Basketball Association career, he believes he will be most remembered for his dunking that included his signature windmill 360-degree slam.
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Richardson said he plans to immediately move back to his offseason home of Denver and focus on spending more time with his wife, daughter and two sons. I play this game for love, nothing else. “But I didn’t want to be that guy who was just there collecting a paycheck”.
